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Saturday, 9 January 2016

Film Review - 'Troll Hunter'

Three student
film-makers (Thomas, Kalle, and Johanna) set out to follow up on rumours
of an poacher illegally hunting bears in the Norwegian wilderness -
looking to use these rumours as the basis for a documentary film.
Interviewing local hunters, they are directed to a stranger that has
often been seen in the area since the bear killings started. Naturally,
they feel compelled to follow up on this lead. This mysterious man
rebuffs their attempts to get him to speak, though, leading the trio to
(bravely or stupidly, take your pick) follow him on one of his nightly
trips deep into the nearby woods.

While trying to pick up Hans's trail, the three find themselves
confronted by the sight of Hans, himself, running toward them through
the woods, seemingly pursued by something large, and shouting the single
word 'troll' at them. As they make their escape, Thomas is attacked,
and bitten, by something large - though, naturally, none of them had
been able to get a clear view of what it might have been. Fleeing the
woods with Hans, they also find their own car knocked on its side, and
with its tires torn off. Once safe, Hans tells them the truth of what
they had inadvertently stumbled into.

Not only do trolls exist, but the man they have been following is a
dedicated troll hunter, employed by the Norwegian government to control
their population, and to keep them away from populated areas. While
still unconvinced by Hans's tale, the student film-makers still see an
opportunity for a new focus for their film project, and they ask Hans to
allow them to come along and film him.

Fortunately for them, Hans happens to hate his job. He isn't very
well paid, he doesn't get anywhere near enough support from the
government that employs him, and he doesn't even get over-time. Hans
would love to see the entire system changed (or, maybe he's just hoping
to get fired), and sees the existence of trolls being made public
knowledge as a good way to force that change. So, Hans is quite happy to
let them tag along, answering their questions and letting them get the
footage they want. Through Hans, we learn the differences between the
'real' trolls of the film, and the trolls of fairy-tale and folk-lore.
Sunlight (or, rather, UV radiation) can kill them - causing them to
either explode, or turn into stone. They seem particularly attracted to
the blood of Christians (a common feature of the old Scandinavian troll
folk-lore, apparently). But, they aren't intelligent - and, they can't
talk.

Something has changed, though. Trolls are appearing closer to
populated areas, and in greater numbers, than they ever have before -
almost as though something is driving them from their natural habitat.
It is up to Hans, with the team of young film-makers in tow, to find out
what is causing this unusual behaviour, and to put a stop to it.

TrollHunter (Trolljegeren) is another
example of the 'found footage' style of mock-documentary that have been
floating around since the surprising popularity of The Blair Witch Project, back in 1999. Honestly, if you just happen to dislike these sorts of films, for one reason or another, than Troll Hunter
probably isn't going to be enough to change your mind. Though, for what
it's worth, it probably rates as one of the best examples of this
particularly style of film that I have come across.

The camera-work tends to be the biggest problem with these sorts of
'found footage' films. The 'shaky-cam' affect that you tend to get
whenever you have actors rushing about with camera in hand isn't always a
lot of fun to watch - and, it could even cause feeling of nausea for
some members of the audience. It's a stylistic gimmick that seems to
fail just as often as it succeeds. Here, though, it seems to be largely
successful. Whether due to a deliberate directorial decision, or simply
down to the actor's/character's skill with a camera, the shakiness here
seems to be kept to a minimum. There is still enough to give that
'realistic' feeling of tension whenever you have moments of frantic
fleeing, of course - but, it is rarely overwhelming.

Honestly, any real problems with the camera-work in this film are
likely to be the exact opposite of what you expect - moments when 'film
production' seems to get in the way of the 'reality' that the
film-makers are aiming for. One scene, in particular, has the camera
raised smoothly and steadily, clearly attached to a crane, in what is
supposed to be a scene of the one behind the camera being grabbed and
lifted by a troll. It's only a small thing, but it still stands out as
particularly unconvincing - honestly, if there was ever a scene, in a
film like this, where frantic flailing would have been entirely
appropriate, it would have been that one. Overall, though, the camera
work does a fairly good job of maintaining that sense of immediate
urgency (which is the whole purpose of these sorts of films) without
making the film, itself, unwatchable. Not all 'found footage' films are
able to to do same - so, it feels like an achievement, here.

As you might expect, Hans is the most fascinating figure, here. A
worn-down veteran troll hunter who seems to genuinely resent the
suggestion that there is anything heroic about what he does - he would
be intimidating, if he did not constantly seem in desperate need of a
vacation, or at least a decent night of sleep. Troll Hunter is
definitely his film, with the three student film-makers simply being
invited along for the ride. The three are likable enough, though - or,
at least, they get to that point, eventually. Thomas is enthusiastic,
and eager to hurl himself into this strange new world seemingly within
moments of learning that it's real. Kalle is more reserved and
suspicious. And, Johanna plays the part of a necessary balance between
the two.

Naturally, though, for much of the length of Troll Hunter it
will feel like you are watching some odd documentary film (kind of like
watching people poke around in the woods, looking for Bigfoot - except,
this time, there actually is something out there to find). While this
is does a great job of providing that necessary layer of 'realism', it
isn't always conducive to compelling story-telling. Interview scenes,
while offering up interesting and important information to the audience,
can simply drag on a little too long, for one thing - throwing off the
pacing of the film, as a whole. Most damaging, though, are the three
young students, themselves - whose inexperience when it comes to
investigation and film-making is almost painfully obvious in the film's
early moments.

This was deliberate, of course - but, it was also risky. If this were
an actual documentary film, then the trio of young and inexperienced
film-makers would have made it entirely unwatchable. It was only the
promise of trolls, and the hope that the film gets better, that allowed
me to push past the early moments, where the film was entirely focused
on them. The three all seem like talented young actors, but the fact
that they are stuck playing a trio of college kids, out to make an
amateurish documentary, doesn't really do them any favours. Of course, as
I mentioned earlier, things do get better soon enough - and, the three
do become much more likable once they invest themselves in the whole
troll hunting process.

The trolls, themselves, are another of the film's clear high-lights.
There is something almost comical about their design - yet, at the same
time, they manage to be both grotesque and genuinely threatening.
Really, they're just like the creatures from the folk-lore that inspired
them. They are each well-realised CGI creations - offering some fairly
clear proof that CGI doesn't always have to be garish and intrusive.

In the end, Troll Hunter was a pleasant surprise for me. As
someone who has come to view 'found footage' films as little more than a
tired gimmick, I wasn't really expecting to enjoy the film as much as I
did. It is a great example of how to do these sorts of films right -
even if they whole 'found footage' documentary structure does seem to
work against the film, itself, at times. If you can stomach the
occasional bit of 'shaky-cam', then it is well worth your time.